BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 2536
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 7, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                   AB 2536 (Mullin) - As Amended:  March 28, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              LaborVote:7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill expands the definition of emergency rescue personnel  
          to include an officer, employee, or member of a disaster medical  
          response team sponsored or requested by the state.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor, absorbable costs to the Department of Fair Employment and  
          Housing ensure compliance with this measure.  

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  . Current law prohibits an employer from discharging or  
            discriminating against an employee for taking time off to  
            perform emergency duty as a volunteer firefighter, reserve  
            peace officer, or emergency rescue personnel, and requires the  
            employer to reinstate and reimburse an employee who is  
            discharged or discriminated against at work, if the employer  
            is found in violation of these provisions. Existing law  
            further requires an employer employing 50 or more employees to  
            allow an employee who performs duty as a reserve peace officer  
            or emergency rescue personnel to take temporary leaves of  
            absence, for up to 14 days in a calendar year, to engage in  
            fire, law enforcement, or emergency rescue training.

            Current state law does not protect all emergency rescue  
            personnel, especially disaster medical response personnel, and  
            personnel in state coordinated programs such California  
            Medical Assistance Teams (CAL-MAT).  According to the author,  
            persons who might otherwise sign up to be part of a state  
            coordinated programs, such as CAL-MAT, are reluctant to do so  
            because they fear job loss or other retribution should they  








                                                                  AB 2536
                                                                  Page  2

            need to take time off for training or disaster services  
            deployment.  


           2)Prior legislation  . AB 11 (Logue) Chapter 120, Statutes of  
            2013, requires an employer employing 50 or more employees to  
            allow an employee who performs duty as a reserve peace officer  
            or emergency rescue personnel to take temporary leaves of  
            absence, for up to 14 days in a calendar year, to engage in  
            fire, law enforcement, or emergency rescue training.



           Analysis Prepared by :    Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081